[Fong]

I been trying to work it out.

A 7th chord is a chord made up of, 1st 3rd 5th and 7th notes from the scale.

So
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
C D E F G A B C

C E G B

Would be C major 7.

But it isn't.

When you play it, wherever you play it, it is:

C E G A#

8th Fret open E position barre chord notes are:

C on the 6th String.
G on the 5th String.
A# on the 4th String.
E on the 3rd String.
G on the 2nd String.
C on the 1st String.

Open position near the Nut.

6th String Muted.
C on the 5th String
E on the 4th String
A# on the 3rd String.
C on the 2nd String.
E on the 1st String.

I am missing something simple, but its 2am, and my mind isn't working.

So please, someone put me out of my misery and explain to me why C7 has an A# in it, despite the key of C not having any sharps in it.

[Fong]

Ok brain just kicked back in and I remember the A7 shape.

Which when barred at the 3rd creates C7, which has a B in it!

Hurray!

So what is the E7 shape, that has the A# in it? It is obviously a C, and I am pretty sure it has the number 7 in the title of the chord somewhere.

[allthumbs]

Yup they all have b7s in them

[Fong]

So is there a difference between Major 7 and x7?

0
0
1
0
2
0

This is E7?

0
0
1
1
2
0

This is E major 7?

A simple 7 chord is a b7? (by which we mean a flattened 7th) while the Major 7th is the natural 7th?

For some reason, I don't seem to know this, but I am damn sure I did once.

Maybe a better example is the A open position C Chord?

3
5
4
5
3
3
X

A7? A Major 7?

3
5
3
5
3
X

A7 or A Major 7?

I am a little confused but now it is 5am so my last active braincell is struggling to keep me breathing.

[allthumbs]

A natural 7th chord is notated as AMaj7, CMaj7 etc. A7,C7 are understood to have a b7 even when the b isn't notated. Your diagrams look right to me.

[Fong]

Originally Posted by allthumbs

A natural 7th chord is notated as AMaj7, CMaj7 etc. A7,C7 are understood to have a b7 even when the b isn't notated. Your diagrams look right to me.

Aye I don't know why but I just wasn't sure about this one.

Although I think the information must have been in there somewhere, since I seem to have stumbled upon the right answer. Maj=7th 7=b7th

Cheers for that allthumbs.

[Kirk Lorange]

It's better to call that A# a Bb in the key of C, Fong. So the CMaj7 has a B, the C7 a Bb.

[__tsidewinder__]

hey, thanks for that fong. I had the same question a few days ago, was going to ask but you saved me from having to type all that. So the C7, the one with the Bb, is an out of key chord, technically, correct? and also, the C7 chord is also called a dominant chord, am I right? Just checking up on old info. So much music theory rattling around in my head, its nice to sort it out once in a while.

[Fong]

Originally Posted by __tsidewinder__

hey, thanks for that fong. I had the same question a few days ago, was going to ask but you saved me from having to type all that. So the C7, the one with the Bb, is an out of key chord, technically, correct? and also, the C7 chord is also called a dominant chord, am I right? Just checking up on old info. So much music theory rattling around in my head, its nice to sort it out once in a while.

Yeah you got what i got, I am guessing your music theory is self taught as well?

I don't know which is the dominant one tho, not sure if it is C7 or CMajor7.

[johnnydoxx]

C7, which is actually C with a b7 (i.e., with the Bb) is also known as the dominant 7th. I guess that makes Cmaj7 the submissive 7th.

[Noodler]

Major 7th chords have a jazzy, breezy feel. They are settled, and sound nice. (Spelled 1,3,5,7)

Dominant 7th chords, spelled 1,3,5,b7 (eg E7, A7, B7) have a tension that wants to go somewhere. But here's the interesting bit. C7, which is C,E,G, Bb sounds tense. Why? Because hidden in there is a b5, the tritone, an interval banned in the middle ages because of it's evil dissonant quality! It is the interval between the E and the Bb. It is hidden in the chord, but you still hear it.

Can also be useful to think of "major" as "natural."

That b5 interval hidden in the dominant 7th chord will be useful to those who didn't know it already. Just wait and see.